Pilot Captures Mid-June Avalanche In British Columbia Backcountry
It may be June but there is still avalanche danger lurking the mountains of British Columbia, Canada as evidenced by the following video shared by Avalanche Canada, Canada’s official, non-government, and not-for-profit organization dedicated to improving public avalanche safety across the country.
The video was taken from the cockpit of a propeller plane flying by Mount Garibaldi on on June 14th and shows a substantial avalanche cascading over a cliff near the summit of the 8,786 foot dormant stratovolcano:
“The sudden switch from Juneuary to summer weather is having a destabilizing effect on the snowpack, so be sure to plan for changing conditions if you’re still getting after it.” -Avalanche Canada
Mount Garibaldi is popular destination for backcountry skiers and snowboarders and anyone considering a mid-summer backcountry mission should be aware that avalanche conditions are currently present and proceed with caution. For all the latest Canadian avalanche safety information, visit Avalanche Canada.
What is avalanche terrain?
Avalanches can happen anywhere where the terrain is steep enough. Once a slope is larger than 10m x 10m (about the size of a tennis court) it could have enough snow on it to create an avalanche that’s dangerous to a person.
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